'Shah Rukh Khan is the George Clooney of India'

November 29, 2016 12:28 IST

'Aditya Chopra says the only time Shah Rukh acts is when he laughs''I never realised this, but when I see him, I realise that he has never laughed.''So I asked him why doesn't he laugh.''He said he didn't know, that he never thought about it.'

Samar Khan, journalist and a filmmaker himself, tells Rediff.com's Patcy N about his book, and the superstar.

What made you write this book?

I was doing a documentary on Shah Rukh, Living with a Superstar, for the Travel and Living channel.

At that time, he said he leaves a part of himself in every character that he plays. That stuck in my head.

If an actor has done 65 films and has played some 30, 35 characters, then all of those characters today make Shah Rukh Khan.

You and I don't know Shah Rukh Khan. I only know what I see on screen.

He is a mix of all those characters. So to understand that man, you have to understand those characters.

And you understand those characters by talking to the makers of those films.

That was the thought for my book.

When I shared it with Shah Rukh, he was excited because nobody had ever thought about this.

This is a unique book because nobody has thought of taking this route, talking to filmmakers.

I have been a journalist and so it was exciting to interview filmmakers and understand what they thought about Shah Rukh.

Did you speak to all his directors?

Yes, all the directors with whom he has done lead roles.

Only three directors could not be a part of the book -- Raj Kanwar (who directed Shah Rukh in Deewana) passed away.

I could not get in touch with Prem Lalwani, who directed Guddu and Shashilal Nair, who directed One Two Ka Four.

IMAGE: SRK at the launch of SRK: 25 Years Of A Life. Photograph: Pradeep Bandekar

Has Shah Rukh read the book?

Yes. He likes it.

For him, it was like going down memory lane, to see what the filmmakers thought about his characters...

If you have spent 25 years in the industry, you forget your first and second year. It's just a haze.

So it was interesting to get his reaction on that level, where he would say, 'Aare, he said this?'

How did your journey with Shah Rukh begin?

I first met him for a profile for Newstrack, in 1997. I have known him for 20 years now.

I have done a million interviews with him on his films, life, whatever.

Then I became a filmmaker and he made a guest appearance in my first film ,Kuchh Meetha Ho Jaaye.

He wrote a poem for me for my second film, Shaurya.

He started a television division and I became its head.

So I have known him in various capacities: As a journalist, as a director, as an employee and as a friend.

I can never repay what he has done for me.

IMAGE: SRK and Kajol in Aditya Chopra's Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.

Which director, do you think, had the most interesting things to say?

Aditya Chopra is my favourite because it's rare that he talks about Shah Rukh or even meets a journalist. He was the last person I interviewed.

I went to Shah Rukh and said that everybody had been spoken to, but we can't have a book without Aditya Chopra.

So he requested Adi, told him this was a book on 25 years of his career, that he would like Adi to be a part of it.

That's how I got to interview Adi.

He spoke about how their journey started, how they were looking for other actors for Darr, how Shah Rukh did it, how Shah Rukh was not happy with Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, not convinced about that role, how their friendship has grown...

Another favourite is Yash Chopra because he is the senior-most filmmaker to have worked with Shah Rukh. He started his career in the 1950s, when Shah Rukh was not even born.

The biggest thing about Yashji's interview was his comparison of Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan and how both of them are different in their own ways and yet, so similar.

Talking to his earliest filmmakers like Aziz Mirza, Kundan Shah, Rajeev Mehra, Rahul Rawail and Ramesh Sippy was also interesting.

Today, everyone associates him with Karan Johar, Rohit Shetty and Farhan Akhtar, but we don't know what the earlier directors feel about him and his journey.

I don't think today's generation would even know that Shah Rukh did films directed by Hema Malini, Ramesh Sippy and Ketan Mehta.

In the book Ramesh Sippy says he did not do justice to Shah Rukh Khan.

It's very magnanimous and truthful of Ramesh Sippy to say that he had such a talented actor and that he didn't do justice to him.

A lot of filmmakers hinted about that. I think that is fantastic.

It's also very honest.

IMAGE: SRK and Mahima Choudhry in Subhash Ghai's Pardes.

Subhash Ghai seems upset with Shah Rukh.

Subhashji has his reasons to be upset.

What I admire is that Subhashji said what he had to say without mincing words and Shah Rukh never asked me to change it.

Kundanji has been critical of him. He says as an actor, he's not done great work. Shah Rukh is okay with that. He said that is what Kundanji feels, so let it be.

Mansoor Khan has given a great comparison of working with Aamir and Shah Rukh. Both of them were big stars at the time. And to decide to work with Shah Rukh and not Aamir (in Josh) were insights you get.

Santosh Sivan's insights were also interesting, of how he made Asoka a film which was not in the Shah Rukh Khan movie zone.

Hema Malini speaks very dearly about Shah Rukh Khan and he spoke very dearly about her at the book launch.

She has fond memories of Shah Rukh.

When I came into the industry, I was only 25 years old.

When you meet *the* Hema Malini, you go, 'kitni khoobsurat hain.' I think that was what Shah Rukh's reaction was.

That relationship was more of awe. She was just indulging a little boy who had just come (into the industry).

Dil Aashna Hain was his first ever film and I think that special relationship remains with him till today.

How did you get Colonel Raj Kapoor, who directed Fauji, to be a part of the book?

I flew to Delhi and met up with him. Colonel Kapoor says he has fought two wars, but people remember him for discovering Shah Rukh Khan.

He says he just happened to give him a break. He would have become whatever he became even otherwise.

Shah Rukh always acknowledges that there would have been no Shah Rukh Khan without Fauji.

That serial was his launch pad. He's always grateful to Colonelsaab for that opportunity.

IMAGE: SRK in Farah Khan's Happy New Year.

Farah Khan mentioned their misunderstanding.

Everybody knows about that. Everyone knows their friendship went through a rough phase and they became friends again.

I did the book before Happy New Year and they had just come back together.

So the book does talk about the fact that there were differences and they are now rebuilding their friendship.

Every friendship goes through its ups and downs. That's what Farah has said.